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Long Tradition of Honoring our Ancestors

Truly, there is nothing new under the sun...

The tradition of honoring Ancestors goes way back to a time before time. Many have been committed to this sacred work of honoring our ancestors who perished in the Middle passage through various Tributes to the Ancestors, Maafa's and Remembrance ceremonies.

Our Inaugural Remembrance Ceremony at Buckroe Beach June 9, 2012 is an extension of a 23 year tradition of Tributes to the Ancestors which began in New York in 1989 under the direction of the late Dr. Mary Umolo and Brother Tony Akeem and still continues today.

My commitment to the Ancestors began 17 years ago when I worked at the African Burial Ground Project (ABG). That was where Deborah and I first met. At the ABG, Deborah and I were involved in and witnessed hundreds of ceremonies on that sacred ground. Deborah took me to my first Tribute at Coney Island and I visited her in SC to be a part of the Remembrance there in 2001.

Inspired by our work at the ABG and the Tributes and the Remembrance on Sullivan's Island, I knew I had to bring the tradition of Remembrance to Virginia.

Virginia is the birthplace of enslavement; as it was at Point Comfort, now Fort Monroe where the first 20 Africans disembarked the British ship flying a Dutch flag,the White Lion and began their life in colonial America. Fort Monroe also became known as Freedom's Fortress as it was the place where enslaved Africans sought freedom during the Civil War.

Remembrance ceremonies now occur in Alabama, California, Panama, Ghana, West Africa and St. Croix, Virgin Islands. We are proud to be a part of this long standing tradition as we honor the millions of Africans who jumped overboard to resist enslavement, were thrown overboard and perished during the Transatlantic Enslavement Trade and whose final resting place was the Atlantic Ocean.

These ceremonies pay honor and tribute to our African ancestors who never made it off the enslavement ships alive. We do this in Remembrance of them.

About Me

a spiritual child of the 70's, Northern born yet Southern raised, from the Bronx, New York. I've always enjoyed writing and have found it cathartic to get my feelings and thoughts down on paper or on a blog;). I found part of my calling when I discovered Anthropology in 1990. After college,I landed my dream job working for the African Burial Ground Project educating the public on the excavation and the stories of the enslaved Africans in Colonial NY. Tragically, on Sept. 11, 2001, innumerable lives were lost. Our office and building along with the Twin Towers was destroyed on that day. I am a Lover of life. My boys are the light in my world. I don't tolerate prejudice of any form. I believe in equality in all forms and support marriage equality. Not really into labels, however, I suppose if I had to I'd come up with something like this;Earth mama,Flower child, Womanist,Humanitarian, Feminista,Animal Rights Advocate, Natural living, Warrior spirit, Child's Advocate, Human Rights & Equal Rights Pro Peace Advocate- doing my part to protect and respect Mother Earth and raising my sons, with my partner, to be loving, sensitive,productive men in this society.